ARMA Hobby Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (70019) - 1:72 ARMA Hobby Expert Set

[Julien]

 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I (70019)

1:72 ARMA Hobby Expert Set

 

 

The Hurricane was at the outbreak of WWII the RAFs most numerous fighter however it has always stood in the shadow to some degree of the Spitfire. Designed by the legendary Sir Sydney Camm. Following an already distinguished record of designing aircraft for the RAF (it is said 84% of the 1930s RAF Flew in his aircraft) he took the latest technology of jointed tubes to make the basic structure of the monoplane Hurricane. The prototype aircraft flew in 1935 and was ordered into production in 1937 with thankfully enough available by the time war broke out.  The Hurricane would turn out to be a adaptable design with Naval, catapult, large bore cannon, and bomber versions being developed. The Hurricane would fight in all theatres of WWII with nearly 14500 being built by the end of the war. 

 

The Kit

This is a new tool kit from ARMA Hobby which seems to have garnered good reviews. The kit arrives on a main plastic sprue, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE, masks and decals. The moulds are crisp with what feels like the right level of detailing and recessed panel lines for this scale. Construction starts with the main wheel well. This is assembled and placed into the single part main upper wing. The main landing gear legs and their retracting struts can then be added. The single part lower wing can then be added on.

 

 

Construction then moves onto the cockpit. The seat is added to its armour and PE belts are added. The multipart instrument panel is then built up. Inside the main fuselage halves the tubular framework for the cockpit is added in along with other cockpit controls.  The rudder pedal can be added to the floor, then this and the instrument panel along with the seat are added in and the main fuselage can be closed up. The main wing can then be added along with the rudder and tailplanes.  he tail wheel and main wheels can now be added (masks are provided for all the wheels).

 

 

The main under carriage doors can then be added. The large belly mounted radiator is then built up and added.  The small intake is added for the 3 RAF machines, or the large tropical one for the SAAF one. Exhaust and the landing lights are then added. The canopy has small PE handles to add and masks are provided for all the glazing. Both a Rotol & de Havilland propeller are provided, A PE oil collector ring is also provided if the modeller want to use it. Also PE exhaust flame shields are provided if needed,

 

 

 

 

Markings

There are printed by Techmod so should pose no problems. 4 marking option are provided for the Junior kit

 

 

1. P3059 501 Sqn RAF August 1940
2. V7234 501 Sqn RAF, August 1940 (Sgt Glowaki with 6 confirmed & 1 damaged enemy aircraft)
3. R4175 303 Polish Sqn RAF,1940. Sgt Frantisek
4. 284/J 3 Sqn SAAF Kenya 1941

 

 

Conclusion

It is great to see this important aircraft being kitted by a new manufacturer.  The kit seems to have been very well received by modellers. Very Highly recommended.

 

Expert Set

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Julien]

As an amendment to the review, it seems that this new kit is pleasing modellers out there and these are a couple of views of the kit from our own members (used here with their permission,

 

 

On 12/12/2018 at 15:53, Graham Boak said:

I'm surprised that no-one else has leapt in - waiting to get home to see their post, perhaps?   

 

I have managed to lay it onto the Bentley plans, and it matches well.  Doing this does inspire a certain amount of pickiness, so I'll point out that the wings are perhaps 1mm short in span (the width of the metal edging on both tips) the fuselage a little less than that too long, the gun muzzle holes don't quite align with the plans, and the hump behind the cockpit is perhaps a little low.  I'm think you'll all agree just how shocking these are.  I suspect that last point is caused by the separate provision of a slid-back canopy, different in shape to that of the closed one (points awarded there, but it still isn't as thin as required).  The kit does hit all the points usually dodgy:  the "shoulders" on the cowling ahead of the exhausts, the taper downwards on the upper wing. the taper down to the rudder post below the tailplane, and the fabric effect on the fuselage is beautifully taut.  Quite nice fabric effect on the elevators too, there but restrained.  Etched panel lines are finely done.  There's a fairly good effect on the front of the radiator, but you are provided with p.e. mesh anyway.

 

The fuselage halves match beautifully, it is tempting to say perfectly, and fit equally well into the assembled (well, put-together) wing.  There is a disappointing feature in that the centre-line of the wing is too flat fore-and-aft, so that the wing extensions fore-and-aft of the fuselage will need pushing up and holding in place until the glue has held.  Two of the lesser parts appear at first to have flash (the control column and the port wing leg - on looking more closely it seems that one half of the mould tooling is fractionally smaller than the other so you only see what appears to be flash on one side.  A sharp knife should clear that, and every other part appears perfect in that respect.  And the fairing in front of the tailfin onto the fuselage is fractionally short - I told you that looking a plan makes people picky!

 

Lots of tiny p.e. for those who like such things.  Notably the step at the rear of the wing, and the handles on the canopy.  I don't think you get the actuator links that haul up the radiator flap, but as you don't get a separate flap that's understandable - personally I'd have preferred the option of an open flap.  Easy to fix - with or without actuators.  You do get a rear-view mirror and rear-facing louvres for the fuselage above the wing which aren't shown on Bentley's drawings, so check whether your subject had them. 

 

You only get the windscreen with the external armour, so again check your subject, but you do get alternative canopies for open or closed.  The p.e. includes lights for behind the leading edges.  Two sets of props are provided, DH and Rotol, with three convincing spinners.  The only other optional part is the tropical filter, so I'll finally be able to use the ModelArt transfers for that Alsace example.  So someone else will have to comment on the transfers, although I will add that it is very warming to find a set of 4-colour RAF roundels with the yellow properly aligned - they are definitely going to end up used elsewhere.  Oops, on a last check I spot anti-glare shields for above the exhausts.

 

Overall, a great little kit.  In advance of actual full assembly, very highly recommended.  I don't foresee that opinion changing much as the kit progresses.

On 24/12/2018 at 14:43, tonyot said:

Hiya Folks,

                 Well it is here at last,....... we finally have a state of the art metal winged Hurricane Mk.I in 1/72nd scale and it was well worth the wait,..... what a wonderful kit!! This is the more expensive version with additional etched brass and masks which are nice to have, but are not really needed unless you really want to gild the lilly and from what I`ve seen on the sprues a good model can be built straight from the box. Even better, a Vokes tropical filter is included along with a DH and the early blunt and late pointed Rotol propellers,....... so everything that you need,......Wonderful!!

 

I`m really looking forward to building this model,..... I have two which I shall be constructing side by side,

 

Cheers and Merry Christmas everybody,

                                                                  Tony 

Quote

Troy Smith said:

Regarding the Arma kit,  I was thrilled and honoured to get an email asking for my address to send me one too review, it turned up today,  I've not had chance to do what Graham has done, but apart from few nitpicks aside that Graham mentions, this is "the best in 72nd"  and one of the best Hurricane kits in any scale, really good overall package, very impressive.

 

I have too applaud Arma Hobby for the care and effort they have put into this project,  and the brave move to share CAD images and take on board feedback from the forum, showing changes made from posted comments. 

It looks like this has worked for them,  and  by the orders this has generated, and i hope this leads to further variants too.   

 

I'd better have a go at building this soon,  i did have a rummage in my drawers and have possibly enough vintage (1981 or so) Humbrol enamel that even appears usable, and while I don't like the smell,  i know I was pretty good at using it 'back then' though I prefer the lack of fumes from acrylic....  

I digress and need to wrap up for the night now

 

Quotes like these say volumes about the quality of this kit.

 

Julien